


Night of the Hunter

by grahamhannah53



Category: 30 Seconds to Mars, Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Organized Crime, Smut, Songfic, Vaginal Sex, i forget how to tag things, idk anymore, lots of classic lit allusions, night of the hunter by 30 seconds to mars, they're all a hot mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 07:34:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15967679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamhannah53/pseuds/grahamhannah53
Summary: A songfic inspired by 30 Seconds To Mars' "Night of the Hunter."Gajeel tries very hard at being normal. It doesn't work. Kidnappings, vaguely mentioned torture, and of course, a happy ending. Maybe. Mostly. All in a day's work, really.Huge thanks to @perkypolarbear on tumblr for being the bestest and for proofreading my nasty mess. Love you, boo.





	Night of the Hunter

_ “I was born of the womb of a poisonous man, _

_ Beaten and broken and chased from the land.” _

  
  


“Dad, look! I drew you and mama at school today,” Romeo gushed to his father, his eyes shining with merriment. He held up a crayon sketch of two stick figures like it was a thousand dollar check, and going by the look on Macao’s face, it may as well have been. 

 

“I love it,” Macao smiled, ruffling his son’s hair. “We’ll have to buy a new fridge if you keep bringing home such masterpieces.”

 

Gajeel looked on from the corner booth of the Denny’s that his very rowdy neighbors and coworkers (dare he call them friends?) frequented, and a sharp pang of jealousy stung in his chest as he watched the scene that play out before him. Gajeel barely remembered his father-- his real father, not the twisted bastard that raised him. His real father was a beast of a man, with strong, weathered hands, a vicious snarl of a smile, and skin as tough as nails, but he’d cared about Gajeel more than anyone else before or since. He taught Gajeel how to shoot any and every firearm legally (and sometimes illegally) available with frightening accuracy, how to take a hit and come back swinging, how to track a mockingbird in the rain with his nose alone-- he gave Gajeel everything he would ever need should he be on his own.

 

Metalicana had done such a stellar job at it that it at made Gajeel wonder if the old man had planned the whole thing from the beginning.

 

After all, fathers don’t just go missing, do they? There’s no mystery about what happened-- he  _ left _ Gajeel, left him for dead and never looked back. Maybe he expected Gajeel to use the skills that he taught him to survive, maybe he he didn’t--Gajeel didn’t particularly care either way. Betrayal is betrayal, and Gajeel had no use for a man that turned his back on his son. As a matter of fact, Gajeel didn’t have much use for any man but himself, and, truth be told, he didn’t have very much use for himself either these days.

 

Which, that was hardly surprising-- it was hard to find meaning and value in life when your job is to take it from people. 

 

Now, Gajeel couldn’t take all the credit for his former profession. After all, he’d been living on the streets of Magnolia-- Jose’s streets. Gajeel had a choice, of course, the same choice Jose gave all the strays he picked up: become a part of the family or die. There was no doubt about how Gajeel felt about the man-- he’d hated Jose within seconds of laying eyes on him, but as it was, he had been in no position to argue, and Jose announced promptly that this one had the look of a killer. 

 

He hadn’t been wrong about Gajeel, not in the slightest.

 

He  _ was  _ a killer-- a killer by nature. The others his age, they didn’t enjoy it the way Gajeel had-- he loved the glide of a knife, the warmth of blood spilling over his fingers. To Gajeel, screams were lullabies, gunshots were bubbles popping, and the crack of bones breaking was like bubble wrap. Not only was he good at it-- the best in the family-- but it sated his hatred, calmed his anger. A job messily completed satisfied him, and he soon became addicted to the same violence he’d detested in Jose. Which, Gajeel should probably be grateful. Jose was in all reality the reason that he hadn’t starved to death or worse by now. Killing, torture, hunting-- it was his bread and butter.

 

_ But what a way to put food on the table,  _ Gajeel thought, remembering every job Jose had ever gave him as he stared at his plate. All of a sudden, he had lost his appetite, and the pancakes he’d ordered looked less and less like something he wanted to eat, especially when slathered with the strawberry syrup that he’d brought from home. It reminded him of too much.

 

_ Can’t even eat a goddamn pancake without having flashbacks,  _ Gajeel thought bitterly, slamming his fork down in disgust. When he looked across the restaurant once more, Romeo was giggling as Macao tickled him, and it all became too much. Gajeel left enough money on the table to buy half of the restaurant and walked outside, lighting a cigarette as he went. 

 

_ Another time, another place,  _ he told himself as he took a steady drag.

 

_ But the same Gajeel _ , the voice in his head replied, and with a self-loathing snarl, he stubbed the cigarette out on the palm of his own hand, wishing he could burn away his sins as easily as he could a couple layers of skin. 

  
  


_ “But I rise up above it, rise up above it and see.” _

  
  


“Gajeel, are you okay?”

 

Looking up from his singed hand, Gajeel met the concerned eyes of everyone’s favorite waitress, Mirajane Strauss. Mira, angel that she was, always made sure that Gajeel had enough to eat, sometimes bringing out extra bacon “on the house” and asking how his day had been. She smiled constantly and was always ready to lend an ear, but never asked any intrusive questions, which Gajeel was ever grateful for. Her company was light, easy-- something that he’d never had before he left the family.

 

She was just one of the great many people here that he had grown to love. After Jose, he hadn’t known what to do, where to go, who to turn to, but by some miracle, he’d ended up living on Fairy Tail street, with the best people on this shitty planet for neighbors, who would eventually worm their way into what was left of his heart. Just like him, each and every one of them had a story-- all of them knew who he was, what he used to be, and none of them judged him for it in the slightest. It never even occurred to them to do so. Just like Juvia had told him when she convinced him to buy one of the vacant homes, he didn’t have to prove anything to them-- all he had to do was rise up and be more than he was before, and he did. Mira, Lucy, Gray, Erza, even Natsu (that bastard), and all the rest, treated him like he was normal. Like he was human. Even Levy, sweet, sweet Levy who had been affected by the man Gajeel was before, accepted him almost immediately.

 

Yes, he had risen above his circumstances. Far, far above them, on steady wings.

 

Here, from the top of the world, he could see everything, and as much as he knew his mind wanted him to see otherwise, the fragments of his heart knew that his new life was a hell of a beautiful thing.

 

Gajeel looked at Mirajane, and he allowed himself a small smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I am, actually. More so now than I’ve ever been.”

 

At that, Mira beamed all the brighter, patting his arm. “You take care of yourself, Mr. Redfox. Looks like a storm is brewing. You’ll want to head on home.”

 

“I will. Same for yourself, Mira. Buy something pretty with the tip I left,” he smirked jokingly. “Tell Laxus he can thank me for it later.”

 

“Gajeel, you scoundrel,” she laughed, swatting him playfully.

 

“You love me,” he grinned. “Night Mira.”

 

“Night.”

 

As Gajeel made his way home, he wondered how heaven got along with so many of its saints missing. Magnolia, it seemed, had stolen the lot of them.

 

  
  


***

 

  
  


_ “I was hung from the tree made of tongues of the weak, _

_ The branches were bones of the liars and thieves.” _

  
  


For some reason, Gajeel thought tonight might be different, but he should have known better. Every night, the dream was the same.

 

_ “Please,”  _ the tree of bones whispered as Gajeel was strangled by the rope around his neck.  _ “Please, I’ll do anything.” _

 

The eyes of every person he’d ever tortured for Jose haunted him as his body swung from the rope, smacking against the tree bark made of the tongues of all the traitors he’d silenced. The more he struggled for air, the less air he got, and sheer terror coursed through his veins. Panic, he’d decided a long time ago, was the worst feeling in the world, and he often wondered if these dreams weren’t the revenge of those he’d so enjoyed giving the same feeling.

 

_ They were all traitors _ , he wanted to scream, clawing at his neck like a madman.  _ They were liars, thieves, and scoundrels, people who raped and murdered their way onto my list.  _

 

_ But they were men just like you,  _ a sweet, sad voice murmured in his head.  _ Men with wives, families. Life is a sacred thing-- you take it like it is yours to take, when it rightfully belongs to the divine. _

 

That voice… he knew that voice. 

 

_ Those men had people that loved them,  _ the voice continued.  _ They had mothers and fathers to mourn them, friends and lovers and sisters and brothers and you stole them from those people.  _

 

Levy.

 

Sweet, beautiful Levy. Levy, whose quiet smile could render Gajeel speechless for hours. Levy, whose eyes glistened in the light like gemstones.

 

Levy, the girl who he’d been ordered to kill. Levy, the one sin he couldn’t bring himself to commit.  

 

_ Levy, _ the tree whispered. 

 

_ Levy _ .

 

Gajeel’s awakening slammed into him, and he sat bolt upright on his futon, covered in cold sweat.

 

“Gajeel! Get up and let us in, you damn bum,” a muffled voice cried from behind the door to Gajeel’s apartment, followed by incessantly loud banging that certainly couldn’t be classified as knocking. “Come on, you lunk, we don’t have a lot of time.”

 

Gajeel groaned.

 

_ Natsu. _

 

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he grumbled, fumbling around for a shirt. “Keep your pants on.”

 

When Gajeel opened the door, he was met with the worried faces of Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, their oddly-colored cat.

 

“Uh, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked, scratching his head and fighting back a yawn. Ordinarily he’d have been a little more hostile, thrown Natsu an insult or two just for fun, but now just didn’t seem the time. 

 

“Levy’s gone missing,” Lucy replied, wringing her hands anxiously. “She was supposed to meet me for dinner tonight. I waited and waited but she never showed. We tried looking for her ourselves, but--”

 

“But I couldn’t even track her at all,” Natsu interjected, giving Gajeel a knowing look. “No scent at all, whatsoever.”

 

_ Shit. _

 

Natsu, flame-brain though he may be, was as skilled at hunting as Gajeel, if not more so. If Natsu’s nose couldn’t pick up her scent, it wasn’t likely that anyone could, which could only mean one thing.

 

Jose.

 

“Natsu, Lucy,” Gajeel began slowly, calmly, hoping to make them understand through sheer force of will. “I know you’re concerned for Levy, but you’re going to want to leave this to me from here. I am fully aware that you probably don’t trust me, but you have to believe me when I say that this is personal, and that if you get involved, it will only get uglier.”

 

“Bull _ shit _ ,” Natsu huffed, crossing his arms. “Trust issues or not, there’s no way in hell we’re letting you face this alo-- OW!”

 

Lucy Heartfilia, ditzy cheerleader though she may seem, was more intuitive than anyone ever gave her credit for. She shut her Salamander up with a swift smack to the head as she locked eyes with Gajeel, somehow communicating her concern, sympathy, and understanding all in one glance. 

 

“Hush, Natsu,” she chided, resuming cheerleader mode and flipping her hair. “If Gajeel says he doesn’t want our help, it’s probably for a good reason. He’s obviously got somewhat more of an idea of what’s going on than we do at the moment.”

 

“But if Levy’s life is on the line--”

 

“Then we need to show some faith,” Lucy declared with all the confidence of a military general. She turned to Gajeel, all but pinning him where he stood with fierce amber eyes. “Gajeel, can you really handle this on your own? Now isn’t the time for false bravado.”

 

It was a fair question. Could he? Probably not.

 

“No, but I know who to call,” he replied, hardening his resolve. “It’s not going to be a walk in the park, but I’ll handle this one. Levy will be back within the next eight hours, I can promise you that.”

 

“And if she isn’t?” Natsu queried, eyeing Gajeel warily.

 

“She will be. If you don’t believe me, you can hang around and ask Juvia when she gets here,” Gajeel huffed. “Otherwise, get the hell out of my living room and keep your phones turned up. We’ll call as soon as we have Levy safe.”

 

“Thank you, Gajeel,” Lucy said with a small, sad smile. “Be safe.”

 

“Always am,” Gajeel replied as the door shut behind them. “Always am.”

 

  
  


***

 

  
  


_ “Blessed by a bitch from a bastard seed, _

_ Pleasure to meet you, prepare to bleed.” _

  
  


 

The phone rang three times before Juvia picked up.

 

“Gajeel,” she answered, her voice thick with sleep. “Juvia was resting.”

 

“I know, Juves, I know,” Gajeel sighed as he zipped up his duffle bag. “But this is important.”

 

“Important enough for Juvia to wake Gray-sama?”

 

“Important enough for Juvia  _ not  _ to wake Gray-sama,” Gajeel replied, knowing Juvia would catch his meaning. “I only need you for the next five hours, max. You feel up to it?”

 

The line went silent, and Gajeel could practically see the wheels turning in Juvia’s head.

 

“You owe me,” she finally replied, and Gajeel grinned.

“Way I see it, I owe you everything I have anyway,” he chuckled. “Meet me here in five?”

 

“Juvia will be there.”

 

Yes, Juvia would be there. She always was. Whenever Gajeel needed someone, she was always, always there. They’d been through hell together-- Jose’s hand-crafted hell-- and come out of it stronger. Everything good in Gajeel’s life had come through Juvia-- in fact, everything he had in his new life was solely because of Juvia’s blessing. 

 

Juvia. Jose’s favorite bitch, born of a whore and some yellow-bellied bastard who couldn’t be bothered to stick around and care for a kid. Young and beautiful, she was when Jose found her, but terribly cold. Cold, yes, that was the right word. The look in Juvia’s eyes when Jose unleashed her on some poor fool could only be described as cold. Frigid, bone-chilling cold-- the dangerous kind that made a man want to sink into it rather than fight against it. Always, Juvia had been cold, until they day she met Gray Fullbuster.

 

Much of Juvia’s past was a mystery, even to Gajeel; it was clear that she’d had quite a bit of trauma while in Jose’s clutches, but even before that there had been something that had made her as cold as she was. Her sins were as many and as black as Gajeel’s even before Jose, and that was no small feat. In fact, when she’d met Gray, Gajeel had thought her as likely to knife him as to greet him, but in the middle of a job, she had only stood there, staring at him in awestruck wonder, and from that moment on, her past mattered no longer. For whatever reason, Gray, the (in)famous stripper who worked at the club downtown, melted the ice around her heart, and in that moment, Jose lost his best killer.

 

At first, Gajeel thought it was stupid, how easily she gave up her career and betrayed the family. Looking back, Gajeel wished he’d changed as easily. For Gajeel, it had taken much more than a chance encounter with a gorgeous stranger to let go of that lifestyle. 

 

It took a longer trail of bodies.

 

It nearly took his own. 

 

Maybe it would’ve been better if that had been the case. Some days, Gajeel wished it had been. Better that he die like the scum he was than how he hurt Levy, and even now that he had put those days behind him, his past still somehow managed to come back and hurt her more. 

 

_ No _ .

 

Gajeel shook that thought from his head. He had risen too far above that line of thinking to return to it. Natsu’s words still rang in his ears:

 

_ “What kind of weak-ass pansy bullshit is that?”  _ Natsu had snarled the first time Gajeel had even suggested the idea.  _ “Suicide? Really? That’s giving up! That’s telling everyone you ever hurt that you’re too much of a pussy to stand up like a man and fix whatever you broke.” _

And then there was Levy, when she’d found him holding his .45, wondering if his life would be worth the bullet. 

 

_ “Hi Gajeel,”  _ she’d smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling beautifully at the edges, until she noticed the gun.  _ “Oh, wow, cool. Is that, uh, loaded?” _

 

_ “Yeah, shrimp, it’s loaded,”  _ he’d sighed, unable to look her in the eye. 

 

_ “Were you gonna shoot it?”  _ she inquired, cocking her head to the side, creating an adorable golden retriever-esque look.  _ “We’re in the middle of town.” _

 

_ “I dunno,”  _ Gajeel replied, flipping on the safety.  _ “Depends on if there was something worth shooting.” _

 

She pursed her lips, thinking.  _ “I’ve never even held a gun before. Would you teach me to shoot?” _

 

What right did he have to tell her no?

 

_ “Sure. You busy tomorrow?” _

 

_ “After brunch with Lucy, I’m a free woman,”  _ she flashed him a brilliant smile, hazel eyes alight with merriment.  _ “I can meet you somewhere, if you’d like.” _

 

_ “Denny’s at 1:30?”  _

 

_ “Perfect! Thanks Gajeel,”  _ she winked, making his heart flutter.  _ “Here, take my number so you can text me if something comes up.” _

 

As it turned out, Levy had been a lying liar who lies. She was very proficient with a variety of firearms and was  _ very  _ bad at hiding it. At the end of the day, though, she handed him a book with sparkling eyes and insisted that he take it-- a gift for the lesson, she’d said. Gajeel, of course, had no intention of reading it, but a yellow sticky note was sticking out of the top from between the pages, and, unable to resist the temptation, he opened it to the marked page to see the following quote highlighted:

 

_ “It sounds plausible enough tonight, but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning.” _

 

That had resonated very deeply with Gajeel. Now he knew the quote by heart, and had even bothered to learn the author and title (The Time Machine by H.G. Wells).

 

It was of that moment that he thought of as slung his bag over his shoulder to answer Juvia’s knock.

 

Everything he did tonight would be for her, for Levy.

 

_ I'm coming, shorty,  _ he thought as his expression twisted with quiet rage.  _ Those bastards who’ve got you had better prepare to bleed  _

  
  


 

***

 

 

_ “Skinned her alive, ripped her apart, _

_ Scattered her ashes, buried her heart.” _

  
  


 

When Gajeel opened the door, Juvia read the murder in his eyes as clear as day. Tonight, Gajeel the hunter was back, and Gajeel the man was long gone. 

 

It was funny to think, but Juvia knew Gajeel the hunter better. In fact, the first time she had seen Gajeel the man had been several years after they’d met, and of all the things she had seen Gajeel do, all the heinous acts she herself had committed, the most terrifying thing she had ever seen was the emergence of Gajeel the man. She remembered the month, the day, the hour-- every detail was lodged in her mind as the day she witnessed a miracle. 

 

_ “No.” _

 

It was simple word, but simple or not, no one said  _ no _ to Jose. Not even Juvia had been that bold. When Jose gave direct orders, they were to be followed-- they  _ would  _  be followed. There was no circumstance in which they were not. No circumstance but Gajeel’s.

 

_ “ _ **_What_ ** _ did you say to me, cur?”  _ Jose thundered, fire in his eyes. 

 

_ “I said no.”  _ Gajeel was matter of fact, entirely unphased. Juvia had begun to shake so violently that her teeth clicked together.

 

_ “Kill her, or you will be next in line for a lesson!”  _ A threat like the from Jose was no little thing-- Juvia was safe from harm because she was his favorite, but Gajeel... Gajeel he would kill just to make a point.

 

Levy, whose life was being debated, didn’t beg, didn't plead. She only watched and waited, never taking her eyes off of Gajeel. Juvia had never felt worse in her life-- her past life was endangering two of her friends, one from the past and one from the present, and as she was tied to a metal chair, there wasn’t a whole lot she could do about it. 

 

_ “I've gone soft, Jose. I can't do it,”  _ Gajeel shrugged. 

 

_ “Then  _ **_I’ll_ ** _ do it.” _

 

**Click. Bang.**

 

_ “The next shot will be to your head and not beside it if you come an inch closer,”  _ snarled Gajeel, anger sharp and biting.  _ “Believe me, I have no qualms with the idea, you pathetic sonofabitch.” _

 

Gajeel the hunter was fierce, yes, but he lacked conviction. Gajeel the man was a force of nature. 

 

That was the first and only time Juvia had ever seen Jose truly afraid. 

 

“Thank you for coming, Juvia,” Gajeel greeted her, and Juvia only nodded. In the same way that Gajeel was the hunter tonight, Juvia was also her former self. She was the rain-woman, made of the tears of her enemies. Tonight, she would add more tears to the collection.

 

She hoped they wouldn’t go straight to her thighs. 

 

“When will you be ready?” Juvia asked, pulling her hair back, making sure the bun was nice and tight where it wouldn’t be out of the way. “You also have yet to explain to me what is so important that I should not wake Gray-sama.”

 

“I’m ready now, and I’ll explain it as we go,” he replied, flipping off the lights. The street lamps shone through the window that he stood by, and even in the dim lighting, his piercings still managed to reflect a little and shimmer in a uniquely appealing sort of way. “Ready to rip up the town like old times?”

 

“Juvia is always ready.”

 

“Then let’s go,” Gajeel replied with a carnivorous grin. “I’m hungry.”

 

_ Not for food,  _ Juvia thought, looking away,  _ but for flesh. _

  
  


 

***

  
  


 

_ “Pray to your God, open your heart, _

_ Whatever you do, don't be afraid of the dark. _

_ Open your eyes, the devil’s inside.” _

  
  


 

Levy didn’t hate very many things in this world, but the thing that she hated the most was feeling helpless. She pulled and struggled against her bonds, her mind racing to think of a way out, but it was all in vain. Over and over, she cursed herself in her mind, wishing she were better, faster, stronger, smarter, but there was nothing that could be done. The only thing she could do now was pray, and open her heart to a God that seemed to be neutral at the moment. Unable to see, unable to move, Levy was stuck where she was, like a fly in amber. 

 

_ Breathe, Levy, breathe,  _ she told herself as tears of rage and frustration began to fall from her cheeks.  _ What would Gajeel think if he saw you so weak? _

 

“Ah, so our newest pet has arrived,” a voice chuckled from somewhere in the room. “Can you speak, pet, or have they already pulled out your tongue?”

 

_ I can speak,  _ Levy thought viciously,  _ but I'll be damned if I’ll show you that I can. _

 

The voice tutted. 

 

“I see. What a shame.” There was a pause as shoes clicked against the floor. “Tell me, are you afraid of the dark?”

 

_ I am afraid of nothing!  _ Levy wanted to scream.  _ Nothing, not of the dark, not damnation, not even the devil himself.  _

 

Instead, she locked her jaw and thought of strong, handsome, striking Gajeel, with his large, muscular arms, sexy piercings, and ruby red eyes. Those thoughts were meant to give her strength, but suddenly, she was hit with a pang of regret.

 

_ I'm sorry, Gajeel, _ she thought, wishing he could hear her as she felt cold metal press against her leg.  _ I wish I could have fought them off, I wish I could have been stronger. _

 

_ I'm so, so sorry,  _ she sobbed, unsure whether she did so aloud or in her mind as she felt the knife dull knife break skin.  _ I wish I could have told you… You deserve to know that I love you. _

  
  


 

***

  
  


_ “One night of the hunter,  _

_ One day I will get revenge. _

_ One night to remember, _

_ One day it’ll all just end.” _

  
  


 

Gajeel’s entire body was on fire by the time he and Juvia reached the abandoned warehouse. He was a live wire, ready to spark at the smallest touch. This feeling, this moment-- he’d been waiting for it for quite a while now. 

 

_ One night back in the pit, this time to settle the score,  _ he thought, trying the door handle, finding it locked.  _ This time, there will be no more of them left to haunt me. _

 

“Juvia’s heart is racing,” Juvia whispered, pressing herself against the side of the building. “Do you feel it too? The rush? The power?”

 

“I do,” Gajeel grunted. “I'm afraid we won't be making a quiet entrance. Are you ready?”

 

“Juvia is always ready.” 

 

Gajeel grinned at the deadness in her eyes that matched the deadness of his heart, and she smiled a vicious, upturned snarl in return. 

 

“Then let’s do this.”

 

It only took one blow from Gajeel’s iron-clad fist to crinkle the steel door as though it were paper. It was completely dark save for a single lamp, just the way Jose preferred, and the place reeked with his cologne. Gajeel’s eyes didn't have even a second to adjust before a fist was flying toward his face along with the sound of muffled gunfire. Right as he caught the fist and twisted the arm that it belonged to, Juvia flicked on the lights, having slipped through the enemy unnoticed, like water through a storm drain. Her two guns were now pointed at two goons, each of whom had theirs pointed at her. 

 

“Gajeel,” Jose chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. “How have you been, son?”

 

Behind Jose was Levy, tied to a chair, limp and bloodied, but awake and alive. Even soaked in her own blood, she looked so beautiful, and Gajeel’s entire body tingled with sheer rage. 

 

“I'm not your son, you sick bastard,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “If you think about it, tell my whore mother I said hello when you get to hell.”

 

Eyes locked, guns drawn, both men pulled the trigger. 

 

Jose missed, grazing Gajeel’s shoulder.

 

Gajeel shot him right between the eyes. 

 

It would have been nice to stay there and savor the moment for a while, but unfortunately, unfriendly fire totally killed the mood. Juvia’s two were down, which left five. Five men for the two of them-- what a joke. 

 

Gajeel could have taken them all himself. Blindfolded. With a butterknife. Killing them was easy, natural. 

 

**_Bang, bang, bang, bang._ **

 

Dead, all of them.

 

“Levy, it is Juvia,” the rain-woman said, sawing at the zip ties that held Levy down. “When the duct tape is ripped off of your mouth, it is going to hurt. Juvia is very sorry.”

 

_ Yank _ .

 

“Y-OWCH!”

 

Gajeel held back his laugh. Then, when he saw the cuts, he no longer needed to. It died in his throat, and a half-formed breath was choked out instead.

 

If he could have killed Jose a second time, he would have made the second time around a thousand times worse. Across Levy’s collarbones, the word ‘bitch’ was carved deeply into her skin, sure to leave a scar. On her thigh was carved Jose’s name in the same manner. It made Gajeel sick to look at, knowing it was all his fault. 

 

“J-Juvia, Gajeel.” Levy tried to stand and walk forward, but her knees buckled, sending her stumbling into Gajeel’s arms. 

 

“Whoa there, kid, take it easy,” Gajeel warned gently, supporting her as best he could. “Get your legs back before you go to running.”

 

“Gajeel, I--”

 

Levy stopped herself, staring at him with wide, unreadable eyes.

 

“What is it, shorty?” he asked, but she only reached up to wipe some blood off of his face.

 

“She needs a medic,” Juvia prompted, wiping her own face. “And Gajeel, we need to clean up this mess.”

 

Gajeel grimaced. Juvia was right-- the two of them couldn't leave looking like they were, and Levy needed to be checked out by someone who knew their stuff. As much as he hated it, he wouldn't be able to take care of her the way he wanted to. Unfortunately, that's what happens when you commit multiple counts of homicide. Things go to shit.

 

“Juves, if you don’t mind, call Salamander and his crew to come pick Levy up. Tell him to bring Lucy since she's an RN, and tell him not to bring anyone else that would ask too many questions,” Gajeel sighed, drawing Levy closer to his side. “I'll wait outside with her for them.”

 

“Juvia does not have her phone.”

 

When Gajeel gave her a questioning look, she only shrugged.

 

“Gray-sama was sleeping on it, and Juvia did not want to wake him.”

 

Gajeel bit back a curse, handing his phone to her as he read the truth in Juvia’s expression.

 

_ I’m taking your phone so that you can’t deflect by showing her memes. _

 

When they were outside, Gajeel could feel Levy’s eyes boring into his face like a laser beam. As stubborn and cowardly as ever, Gajeel refused to meet her eyes, choosing instead to light a cigarette and scan the streets for Natsu’s car.

 

“Gajeel?” Levy spoke, breaking the silence.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

_ Huh? _

 

“What for?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

 

“I’m sorry for all the trouble,” she replied, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m not stronger, I’m so weak and I-I just--”

 

“None of this is your fault,” Gajeel sighed, awkwardly smoothing down a lock of sapphire hair in an attempt to comfort her. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

 

“Let me finish,” she sniffled, wiping away a tear, smearing blood on her face in the process. “I’m sorry for not telling you, for not...” 

 

Levy put her head in her hands and began to sob.

 

“It’s alright, you’re okay, that’s all that matters,” Gajeel soothed, bringing her into a gentle embrace. “You have nothing to apologize for, you hear me?”

 

After a few seconds, Levy pulled away, and Gajeel thought the brief moment of intimacy was over, but to his surprise, Levy threw her arms around his neck, jumped to wrap her legs around his waist, and kissed him soundly on the mouth. 

 

The part of Gajeel’s brain that contained his aptitude for swift reaction time chose that moment to short-circuit

 

The kiss was horrible, awkward, and messy, and it tasted like blood, bile, and dirt, but it was the best kiss Gajeel could ever ask for. His brain kicked back in enough to let him know that he wanted more, so he grabbed Levy’s ass and pulled her closer to him, shoving his tongue between her parted lips. Searing desperation clouded Gajeel’s senses, and before he knew what he was doing, he caught Levy’s lower lip between his teeth, eliciting a soft gasp from her.

 

All of a sudden, when they pulled away for air, reality slammed into Gajeel’s chest like a thousand pound anvil. 

 

This was Levy. Pure, sweet, beautiful Levy; the girl that had almost died because of him twice now. Sure, this time was indirectly, but that hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things. What mattered is that she was a saint and he was a sinner. He was Black Steel Gajeel, the hunter, the killer. He was no good for her, no good for anyone-- she deserved so much better than someone like him. 

 

_ But if this is how she feels...  _ his heart began, but his brain shut it off. 

 

_ It sounds plausible enough tonight, but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning. _

 

He couldn't do this.

 

“Levy, hold on, stop.”

 

Gajeel lowered her gently to the ground, wishing there was a discreet way to adjust his pants to accommodate his arousal. 

 

“Is-Is something wrong?” she asked, brows drawn together with worry.

 

“I'm sorry, Levy, I just-- I can't do this right now,” he sighed as Natsu’s car pulled up. “It’s hot as hell out here, you've just been thoroughly traumatized, and I just killed people. We aren't exactly in the best state of mind to be doing any of that and making emotional decisions.” Gajeel ran his hand through his hair, wishing like hell that he could jam his whole fucking foot in his mouth. “We’ll talk about this later, I promise, but you need to go home and I need to help Juvia. I'll text you and we’ll meet tomorrow when we've had some rest, okay?”

 

Levy nodded reluctantly. “Gajeel?”

 

“Yeah?” he replied, heart pounding in his chest.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Gajeel didn't remember helping Levy into the car, or walking back to the warehouse. The only thing he remembered from that point forward was crying like a child on Juvia’s kitchen floor, wishing that he could just sleep forever and never have to face the world again. 

  
  


***

  
  
  


_ “Honest to God I will break your heart, _

_ Tear you to pieces and rip you apart.” _

  
  
  


 

“Lucy, I just don't understand,” Levy sniffled, blowing her nose. “We were kissing and he seemed really into it and all of a sudden he stopped and went all cold and stiff. How am I supposed to take that?”

 

Lucy frowned, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I don't know, Lev. Gajeel is a hard man to read under the simplest of circumstances. There's no telling what was going on in his brain. I mean, as rough as last night was for you, it was just as rough for him, what with his past… maybe he was afraid of pushing too far too fast, or maybe he doesn't think he's ready. You really won't know until you two have that talk.”

 

Levy flopped backwards on her bed with an anxious sigh, and Lucy followed suit. 

 

“How do you do it, Luce?” Levy asked, studying the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. “You and Natsu make it look so easy. You guys weren’t even a little awkward when you first started dating, meanwhile, I can’t even think about Gajeel without being scared out of my mind.”

 

Lucy laughed, a wonderful, bell-like sound that Levy tried very hard not to envy. “First of all, it’s okay to be scared, Levy. Love is a terrifying thing, especially when you don’t know whether or not the feeling is reciprocated. Secondly, Natsu and I are far from perfect-- or did you forget the months upon months of denial followed by months upon months of horrible mutual pining?”

 

“I guess no two stories are the same,” Levy sighed. 

 

“Think of it as an adventure!”

 

_ It’s an adventure alright _ , Levy thought, checking her phone for the thousandth time that hour.  _ Only, I seem to be a side character in my own story, with no purpose in the grand scheme of things. _

 

“He hasn’t texted you yet, has he?” Lucy asked, nodding at Levy’s phone.

 

“No, he hasn’t,” Levy confirmed grimly. “I’m starting to think he never will.”

 

Lucy thought for a moment, then sat straight up with a cheerful smile on her face and an idea bouncing behind her eyes.

 

Levy raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I know that look. That is the patented Heartfilia ‘I’m-planning-something’ look. What is it?”

 

Lucy smirked cheekily. “I was just thinking it might be a good idea to take matters into your own hands.”

 

“Absolutely not,” Levy scoffed. “That’s a completely absurd idea.”

 

“Why not?” Lucy demanded, almost teasingly. “Stuck in that archaic ‘If he wants me, he’ll chase me’ mindset? Or are you just a chicken?”

 

“I am neither!” Levy exclaimed, miffed. “You know that if I call him, not only might he think I’m being pushy and overbearing, but I will definitely most likely choke to death on my own saliva. Seeing as how I haven't died thus far, I'm not really looking to push my luck.”

 

Lucy put her hands under her arms and clucked.

 

Maybe it was the pent-up emotions in Levy’s chest that did it. Maybe it was the physical and emotional trauma of the night before. Maybe it was just plain lack of sleep. Whatever the reason, Levy burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, the kind that socked her in the stomach and left her gasping for air. Lucy joined right in, and soon they were breathless and wheezing on the floor, having rolled off the bed like children. 

 

The laughter abruptly ceased when Levy’s phone began to ring. 

 

Lucy, being the closest, checked the screen, which read ‘Gajeel <3’

 

“It’s now or never,” Lucy grinned, handing the phone to Levy. “Fate is calling.”

 

Levy did her best to ignore the anxiety in her gut and answered the phone without even the tiniest waver in her voice. 

  
  
  


 

***

  
  
  


“Hello?”

 

Gajeel’s mouth felt as dry as cornmeal. It had taken every last ounce of energy and effort he had to press dial on his phone. Unfortunately, that left no energy and effort to figure out what to say.

 

_ Think, think, think _ , he chided himself.  _ She’s five foot nothing, a hundred and nothing, and yet you’d rather have your arm cut off than face her. _

 

“Hey Levy,” he choked out, wishing like hell he could just avoid this conversation forever. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I-I mean…” her voice was soft, hesitant, but nonetheless melodic, even over phone. Gajeel could almost see her worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, rolling the skin there that he’d bit the night before-- “I’m fine. Very fine. Good, yeah, I’m good.”

 

“Well, uh, that’s good,” he replied weakly, cursing himself half-heartedly. “Are you feeling up to going out this evening to, uh, discuss things?”

 

“Sure. What did you have in mind?”

 

“I was thinking I might could pick you up, buy you dinner tonight and we can discuss things over a meal. Sushi, maybe? At, say, seven?”

 

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Levy replied, with a lightness in her voice that made Gajeel’s stomach turn with the terrifying realization that he may have just given her the wrong idea. “Sushi at seven, you say?”

 

“Yep,” he replied, wishing for the second time in less than twenty-four hours that he could fit his entire foot in his mouth. “I’ll be by around six-thirty, yeah?”

 

“Sounds fine. See you then.”

 

“See you then, shorty.”

 

As soon as the line was safely disconnected and his (flip) phone was thrown clean through his living room wall, Gajeel pitched the ugliest temper tantrum of the century.

 

“GodDAMMIT,” he swore, pacing back and forth like a caged dragon. “Gajeel, you are so fucking stupid, you dumb sonofabitch!”

 

In a fit of blind rage, Gajeel raked everything off of his kitchen counter, stomping whatever landed near him. How could he have been so stupid?

 

_ Stupid _ ,  **stomp** ,  _ stupid _ ,  **stomp** ,  _ stupid _ ,  **stomp** .

 

How was he supposed to fix this now? He’d gone and done it now-- “Maybe I can buy you dinner?” What had he been thinking? And worse yet, he’d offered to pick her up! Wow, what a  _ great fucking move _ that had been. That would make one hell of a long, awkward, painful drive home, assuming their little talk didn’t kill him first. Maybe the raw fish would put him out of his misery before he could do any more he could do any more stupid shit than he already had, if that was even possible.What was that thingy, that pufferfish stuff? Maybe he’d try that. 

 

Panther Lily, Gajeel’s cat, had perched himself on the island, eyeing him as if to say “Humans. How pathetic.”

 

“Shut up, cat,” Gajeel grumbled, looking at the mess that surrounded him. “Unless you pay the rent, I don’t wanna hear it.”

 

At that, Panther Lily hopped down from the island, as if to say, “Very well. Continue being miserable. I don’t care either way.”

 

“Shit.”

 

Gajeel put his hand on his hips, perplexed. 

 

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


 

“Jesus, Levy, you look… you… wow.”

 

Lucy had no words as Levy gazed worriedly at herself in the mirror.

 

“It’s too much, isn’t it?” Levy frowned, moving to take off the gorgeous yellow sundress that Lucy had picked only moments before. “I should’ve gone more casual, I should’ve--”

 

“Levy McGarden, if you take off that sundress, I will knock you into next week,” Lucy declared, folding her arms. “You look absolutely smoking hot, and you are NOT allowed to argue with me on that. It’s a fact.” 

 

Levy fiddled with the top of one of the slits cut out of the skirt of the dress, which exposed her well-formed thigh even more. “I don’t know, Lucy, I feel like a cheap whore. I mean, look how much makeup I have on. I never wear this much makeup.”

 

“Listen, other than your lipgloss, I can’t even tell you have any on,” Lucy soothed, adjusting the little gold chain Levy was wearing. “You look positively ravishing. Just the way that neckline looks on you is enough to knock any man, even Gajeel, flat on his ass.”

 

“Do you really mean that?” Levy asked, turning worried hazel eyes to her best friend.

 

Lucy had never meant anything more in her life. From Levy’s perfectly styled blue tresses right down to her brown leather wedges, she looked absolutely stunning. When asked, most people could come up with a thousand different adjectives to describe Levy, but the only one that Lucy could think of at the moment was  _ beautiful _ .

 

“Of course I mean it,” she laughed. “In fact, Gajeel is lucky that I have such good self-restraint. If I were any less of a woman, I would be taking you home with me, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

 

Levy only shook her head with a sad smile. “Do you really think he likes me, Lucy/”

 

“I don’t know,” Lucy admitted. “But you will before the night is over. ”

 

A moment later, there came a stiff knock at the door, and Levy turned beet red.

 

“I guess it’s time to screw my courage to the sticking place,” she quoted, no doubt wondering if her luck would be as bad as dear Hamlet’s. 

 

“Go get ‘em, sexy Shakespeare,” Lucy teased. Then, after a moment of thought, she added, “If you need me to come get you, just call.”

 

Levy nodded, and with all the courage of a tigress, she faced her fears and went to open the door with a lily-white hand.

 

Lucy grinned.

 

_ Knock him dead, girl. Make us all proud. _

  
  
  


 

***

  
  
  


 

Objectively, Gajeel knew that if he didn’t shut his mouth, he was going to catch flies.

 

Just…  _ damn _ .

 

Levy had always been beautiful to Gajeel, but the way she looked tonight, man-- she was a goddess. A goddess indeed, with that plunging neckline distracting him from her face. God, he wanted to rip that canary-yellow whatever-in-the-hell it was right off and make her toes curl with pleasure. He wanted to have her breathless and moaning beneath him, on top of him, wherever-- he wanted to worship her. 

 

“Gajeel?”

 

_ Whoa there, cowboy, that’s the exact opposite of how tonight is supposed to go. _

 

Levy gave him a look, indicating that she had been speaking and expected a response.

 

_ Fuck me, this is hard. _

 

“Uh, yeah, sorry, I’m a little tired,” he lied, faking a yawn for emphasis. “You look… you look nice, Levy.”

 

“Oh, thank you,” she smiled, and Gajeel nearly fainted. It was way too hot outside for this. Way. Too. Hot. “Lucy was over, so she wanted to play dress-up with me like I’m some kind of doll. Which, I’m not complaining, everyone knows Lucy has great taste… and I’m more than a little inept in the fashion department.”

 

Gajeel shrugged. “I disagree. I like what you wear.”

 

“Do you really?” Levy asked, clasping her hands in front of her like an excited child.

 

If circumstances permitted, Gajeel would have punched himself in the face.

 

“Yes, really. Now let’s get going so that we can get good seats, yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” she agreed, taking the arm that he offered. “Only, I have one question.”

 

Gajeel’s heart dropped to his stomach. 

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Is there such a thing as a bad seat in a sushi bar?” she laughed, eyes sparkling in the light of the street.

 

_ Just get in the car and drive, Gajeel _ , he told himself.  _ Shut up and drive. _

 

Well, that by itself didn’t go half as bad as it could have. The majority of the ride was awkwardly silent-- of course, a few attempts at conversation were made, but nothing really picked up.

 

“You know, Magnolia is so beautiful in the evening,” Levy sighed, eyes dreamy as they rode downtown. “The whole place seems to come alive when the sun starts to set. You can almost feel the heartbeat of the city, the rhythm of its people-- I love it.”

 

Gajeel chose not to comment. He had no fondness for the city at night-- for predators like himself, it was the equivalent of office hours. Levy, however, didn’t seem to mind. She worse a content smile, seemingly happy with just looking around at the scenery, even though she’d doubtless seen it thousands of times. It was as though she was predisposed to joy and awe-- like a ray of sunshine had been planted in her heart and grew there until it shone in her eyes, making everything look that much more lovely.

 

Gajeel wished he could spend even a moment seeing life from her perspective. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever experienced wonder like that.

 

_ Would being with her really be so bad? _ he wondered, sneaking glances at her when he could spare them

 

The more he thought about it, the more plain it became; the answer to that question was no. 

 

Being with Levy wouldn’t be bad at all. In fact, it would be the best thing that had ever happened to Gajeel. It would be so easy to just say yes to a relationship with her, to fall head-first in love with everything about her, but every time he caught a glimpse of the angry red cuts on her leg, he was reminded exactly why he couldn’t do that.

 

Gajeel sighed. Why did life alway have to kick him in the ass?

  
  


 

***

  
  
  


 

There was nothing Levy loved more than well-prepared sushi. 

 

It was a real shame that she felt too sick to eat it. 

 

Gajeel hadn’t said so much as one word since they’d gotten into the car, and now as they sat across from one another, it seemed as though he’d lost his tongue. It made Levy want to scream, barf, or both.

 

Probably both.

 

Instead, she smiled and pushed her chopsticks around on her plate to make it look like she was eating.

 

Several minutes later, and Levy was going mad. She honestly didn’t know how much longer she could take it. They met to talk, after all, not stare at each other like two dumb animals.

 

_ Very well, _ she thought, setting her chopsticks down neatly with a steadying breath.  _ If he won’t take the initiative here, I will. _

 

“So Gajeel,” she began, sitting back in her seat, trying (probably failing) to appear relaxed. “About last night.”

 

Gajeel, who was halfway through swallowing, choked. Levy, ever patient, kept her hands folded in her lap, fighting the urge to fidget.

 

Once he had regained his ability to speak, Gajeel sighed and wiped his mouth. “Uh, what about it.”

 

Levy felt her eye twitch. She almost wished he would choke again.

 

“I kissed you,” she exhaled, leaning forward. “You kissed me back, rather enthusiastically, might I add, and then pushed me away like I was poisonous.” Unable to control her embarrassment, Levy paused as she felt her face turn fire-engine red. “I just want to know what to think, Gajeel.”

 

His face gave away nothing. Stupid, handsome Gajeel-- damn his sexy piercings and brooding frown. Even though she was the one asking questions, she felt exposed, vulnerable, completely open to those deadly, dart-like eyes. Her blood was rushing through her veins, pounding in her ears, and maintaining eye contact became a losing battle. 

 

_ Pull it together, McGarden _ , she scolded herself.  _ He’s just a man, the same as anyone else. _

 

Silence. Maddening, deafening silence. 

 

Then Gajeel sighed, pushing his plate aside.

 

“Levy,” he began slowly, as though every word took a year off of his life. “You are the single most beautiful, intelligent, absolutely incredible woman I have ever met. If you are going to think anything, I ask that you think that.”

 

More silence. It was like a knife to the chest to Levy. She could scarcely breathe. She felt a but coming, and should it choose to do so, it would destroy her.

 

“But I want you to know that I have fallen in love with you.” 

 

Levy was certain that she had died.

 

He loved her! Gajeel, wonderful, charming Gajeel-- he loved her!

 

“The feeling is mutual,” she replied, numb save for the wave of quiet joy crashing over her head. She smiled tentatively, and then with great enthusiasm. “The feeling is very,  _ very _ much mutual.”

 

“That's good,” Gajeel winced, an expression that implied that was not, in fact, good.

 

“Well, uh… Where does that leave us?” Levy queried, worry settling over her again. 

 

“You see, that's complicated,” he replied, misery written all over his face. “I love you, Levy, I do, but...”

 

He stopped, swallowing hard.

 

“But what?” Levy prompted, her heart chipping at every word.

 

“But be that as it may, Levy, you have to know that honest to God, I will break your heart into a thousand pieces if I am allowed anywhere near it.”

 

Levy couldn't believe her ears.

 

“What- what do you mean? What can that  _ possibly _ mean, Gajeel, it doesn't make any sense!” Levy, having forgotten about her plate, accidentally smashed her elbow into her sushi, which didn't help the fact that she wanted very badly to cry. 

 

Gajeel groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, okay, take one good look at your chest, Levy. At your leg. Those cuts, that pain, the emotional wounds beneath the physical ones-- all my fault. I'm no good-- no good for you, no good for myself, no good for anyone.” He wouldn't even meet her eyes as he spoke, gripping his poor chopsticks as though he intended to snap them in half. You deserve so much more than me, so much more than my baggage. If you were mine, you would never be safe, not ever, and I can't…” Gajeel looked at her then, and for the first time since she met him, she saw weakness in his eyes. “I can't put you through that. Even if you were never hurt, to be kept under lock and key the way you'd have to be… you'd start to feel trapped, suffocated, caged. I'm a selfish bastard, and I have more sins on my conscience than ten ordinary men, but this is one line that I won't cross. Not you, Levy. I could never, ever bear you suffering for my sake.”

 

For a minute, there was silence. Levy's mind was reeling. She didn't know what to think, how to think. Her world was crashing down bit by bit, and there was only one thing, one quote from her favorite book, that played over and over unhelpfully in her head. 

 

_ “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” _

 

Levy folded her arms. No way in hell was she going to take that for an answer. 

 

“Fuck that,” she swore matter-of-factly, breaking the silence.

 

Gajeel was so shocked that his mouth opened and closed like a fish for nearly half a minute before he regained his mental footing enough to speak. 

 

“Wha-- excuse me?”

 

Levy sighed. 

 

“I  _ said _ ‘fuck that’ in reference to that bullshit you just spouted at me,” she elaborated. “And, in case you weren't sure, I  _ goddamn  _ meant it. I usually don’t swear, but I feel as though I'm entitled to a few bad words after such a horrendously unnecessary rejection because of some talk about  _ baggage _ .”

 

Gajeel tried to interject, but Levy stood her ground.

 

“Everyone has baggage. I'm looking for baggage that goes with mine.”

 

“You stole that,” he deflected, mirroring her folded arms. “That's from RENT.”

 

Levy shrugged with a guilty smirk. “Everything in this world is either begged, bartered, or stolen.”

 

Gajeel made a face, but eventually just shook his head. “Alright, fine, I'll get behind that, but our baggage is mighty different.”

 

“Is it?” Levy asked, pointing to the letters carved into her skin. “How am I supposed to go about explaining that to a potential partner, huh? How do I meet anyone at  _ all _ without having to explain it?”

 

“You've never killed anyone,” Gajeel replied, as though that made anything final.

 

“No, but I've been the reason one was killed. How is that any different?”

 

“Damn you, woman,” Gajeel growled. “Why can't you just see why this is a terrible idea?”

 

“Because it  _ isn't. _ ”  _ Duh _ .

 

“You're willing to risk your safety--”

 

“I'm not risking anything, Gajeel,” she snapped, banging her fist on the table. “I am simply trying to explain to you that no matter what, I will let  _ nothing _ take my freedom from me-- not the mob, not your baggage, not fear, not anything.” She paused, taking a sip of her drink. “I refuse to say my hands are tied because of a little danger. If you let freaks like Jose control you, then you let them win. I intend to fight, and I won't lose, not even if they kill me. I am not afraid, and you shouldn't be either.”

 

Gajeel sighed, but his eyes were hard as steel.

 

“Im sorry, Levy. I admire your courage, your strength, but the answer is still no.”

 

The rest of the dinner went on in silence. Levy was angry-- so very,  _ very _ angry. She didn't even care what Gajeel was feeling, how the ride home was going to be, any of that. All she could feel was the burning sensation of fury pooled in her chest.

 

_ Why is it that I can never seem to have what I want?  _ she grumbled petulantly to herself.  _ I'm always the one that gets injured, shitted on, treated like garbage, but I never get what I want. _

 

It sounded horribly selfish, even to Levy herself, but it was the truth and she was too enraged to care.

 

She had definitely earned the right to pout.

  
  
  


 

***

 

 

  
  
  


Gajeel hated women. Can't live with them, can't live without them. 

 

He wished he could trade this angry, brooding Levy for shy, awkward Levy. At least shy, awkward Levy didn't seem to hate him. Which…

 

Could Gajeel really blame her? 

 

The ride to her house seemed to drag on forever. Gajeel had to fight the urge to speed so hard that he had bitten the inside of his cheek to bits. As terrible as all this was though, Gajeel had to admit…

 

Angry Levy was  _ hot. _

 

The set of her jaw, the defiant cross of her arms and legs-- it was all undeniably sexy. Gajeel wanted to tease at her, kiss her neck until she swatted him away, make her want him. She always presented a challenge to him, but never in this aggressive, closed-off way. He wanted her to want him as bad as he wanted her, and he was beginning to rethink this decision of his. Perhaps, just perhaps, he had been a little hasty.

 

Sure, he had lived a selfish life of crime and all, but when was the last time he had done something only for himself? When was the last time he had gotten what he wanted? If he wanted Levy and she wanted him, why shouldn’t he have her? Jose was far from the only person that wanted him dead, but he was by far the most powerful. If he had defeated Jose, who was to say anyone would mess with him now? And Levy… if she was willing to give it a try, how could he deny her?

 

Where had these thoughts been before, while they had been discussing it?

 

Finally,  _ finally,  _ they arrived at Levy’s apartment complex, and Gajeel walked her to her door like a gentleman should. His whole body was tense, from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and he wondered if she would just walk into the apartment and slam the door in his face. It would be no less than he deserved, that was for sure. He wouldn’t blame her, not one bit.

 

But if she hadn’t stopped to have the last word, she would not have been Levy, and that was exactly who she was and what she did. 

 

“Just so you know,” she began gently, her face softening from the anger it wore before into something akin to tired kindness. “I don’t hate you Gajeel. You saved my life twice now, and I will never forget that, not ever, You have given me far more than I can repay, but be that as it may, I won’t wait on you to get things straight in your head. If you decide you want me, you had best make that decision now, because I won’t wait around for you. It’s now or never.”

 

_ Kiss me,  _ he read in her eyes.  _ Kiss me before it’s too late and these lips belong to someone else. _

 

Gajeel had always been rubbish at resisting temptation. He'd tried this time, God had he tried, but he just couldn't fight it. He kissed her, softly, gently, and when she slid her hand up to his jaw, he deepened the kiss, hoping she would understand what he was struggling with. 

 

“I can't resist you, Levy, I never could,” he groaned as she slipped her fingers through his hair, pulling him back into a kiss. “I couldn’t resist your eyes the first night we met, when Jose, when I--” he faltered, but Levy only pulled him closer. “You were never afraid. You were astounding. Levy, say you’ll forgive me, please.”

 

“I forgive you,” she replied. “I’m yours, Gajeel. Now, talk less, kiss more.” 

 

Gajeel grinned as she kissed him again. He could  _ definitely  _ get used to this side of Levy. Unashamedly, she groped and explored him in the same way he was exploring her, but when her hand went to the front of his pants, Gajeel gently moved it. 

 

“Inside, doll,” he said by way of explanation, pointing at the door to her apartment.

 

With an impatient huff, Levy spun around, fumbling with her key. It seemed forever and a half before they finally managed to get in, and by then some of the nervous energy from earlier in the night had begun to creep into the atmosphere.

 

“Levy, darlin’, what uh… how far are we going tonight?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, I’m fine with whatever you want to do, even if that’s just like, nothing. As long as I’m wherever you are, I’ll be happier than ever, I swear, but I want you to be comfortable with whatever it is we do.”

 

“Gajeel Redfox, if you do not relieve me of this horrible sexual tension you have caused for the past couple months, I will personally make you regret it,” she threatened teasingly, flinging her arms around his neck. “I want you to fuck me into my mattress, assuming we can wait as long as it takes to get to the bedroom.”

 

“Just what I wanted to hear,” Gajeel laughed into her lips. “Just what I wanted to hear.”

  
  
  


 

***

  
  


 

Levy didn’t know the first thing in the world about sex other than what she'd read in books, but she was pretty sure that nothing else in the world could compare to the feel of Gajeel's mouth between her legs. His tongue lapped at her clit, and her hips bucked with every thrust of his fingers. 

 

“You taste so fucking good,” Gajeel smirked against her pussy as he fingered her. 

 

Levy wanted to reply, she really did, but it was kind of hard to talk while he was slipping a third finger into her. 

 

“Do you think you're ready, love?” he asked her after a moment. “If you change your mind, we can stop here and that's fine.”

 

Levy bit her lip. She had never been more sure of anything in her life. 

 

“Fuck me, Gajeel,” she all but growled. “ _ Please _ .”

 

She didn't need to tell him twice. 

 

Quickly, he lined himself up with her, and pushed in little by little. Levy was so wet, so stretched already that there was only a little stinging stretch instead of the pain Lucy had warned her about. Slowly, gently at first, Gajeel thrust into her. It was maddening, how deeply she felt him, how entirely full she felt. It was incredible, simply phenomenal.

 

She wanted  _ more. _

 

“Please, Gajeel,” she moaned, and he growled at the sound. “Please fuck me harder, I can take it, I promise, just,  _ please. _ ”

 

Gajeel, apparently just as eager as she, easily delivered, thrusting harder, faster, and Levy couldn't fight back a moan as he trailed kisses down her neck. In and out, he pounded her, his rough, calloused hands teasing at her nipples as he fucked her. Every thrust brought her closer to the edge, and her moans turned to panting whines, high pitched and desperate.

 

“God, Levy, you feel so good,” Gajeel groaned as he began to rub at her clit. “I haven't felt this close to orgasm in so little time since I was a fucking teenager.”

 

Levy was too busy with her own orgasm to respond. 

 

Once they were spent, Gajeel climbed onto the bed with Levy, both of them completely naked. Sweetly, Gajeel snuggled up next to her, curling his arms around her protectively. 

 

“I love you,” he murmured into her ear, so quiet she wondered if she'd imagined it. 

 

“And I love you,” she replied, because she knew she hadn't. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> lol sorry yall


End file.
